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Monday, November 10, 2014

The Beaver Update

A while back I told you about the beaver living in my little pond (which is really just a small bit of wetland).  Since then the beaver has built his lodge, which I have a great view of from my bedroom window, and continued to try to keep the water level up, by blocking the culvert. My son and I have also been learning more about beavers and watched a very cool video which showed how they build their lodges, raise their young, and even shelter other animals in their lodges over the winter like muskrats, frogs, and filed mice. They also can make lush ecosystems out of deserts and help retain our wetlands which many areas of the country are spending big $ to replace. Bottom line, beavers are cool and we should try to live with them.

Unfortunately, the town I live in didn't bother to do any research on beavers or how to live with them and this weekend traps were set, either of which could easily have injured or killed a dog or any other animal who wandered into the shallows. My plan was to call the town first thing this morning and protest and explain how there were other things to do besides killing the beaver, like installing a beaver deceiver or a beaver fence or an 'excosure,' Any one of these things might have allowed the beaver and us to live happily as well as prevent future problems like a new beaver moving in and causing the same problems.

Sadly, my neighbor just informed me that the second trap they set did its job and the beaver is now dead.

I will still be calling my town office this morning to find out who authorized this and why the action was taken on a weekend, thereby preventing any protest from being lodged. I will also be writing a letter to my local paper, outlining my disappointment over the town's actions and point out that while they might have killed this beaver, there may well be another one to take its place next spring.


Now, you may wonder why am I expending all this energy over a beaver when there are far worse things happening all over the world. I guess my answer would be that this is my neighborhood, my street, and I believe that we should all be able to live here peaceably. Silly maybe. Naive for sure. But if I can't do something to try make that happen here, then how can I expect it to happen anywhere else?

Anyway. Sad Monday for the beaver, but I hope you'll take the message and spread it.

Namaste.


ps for more information about beavers check this site, and the PBS show, Leave it to Beavers, available on Netflix streaming. Very cool.


24 comments:

  1. You can only take care of your own area sometimes. Sorry they killed the beaver. Still call and complain.

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  2. Most interesting. Our DNR " manages wildlife area" often to the exclusion of beavers. This is often does for no observably worthwhile reason. Plus leghold traps are cruel to say the least...

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  3. I would be furious, too! And yet, I can't say I'm surprised. Beavers don't vote, so the town officials had no reason to make nice.

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  4. I can't believe they didn't use a live trap. I'd complain too.

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  5. Good for you for standing up for what you believe it in your community. Sounds horrible what they did.

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  6. It's sad that the wild has learned to adapt to us. But we humans haven't learned the same. That's very sad.

    Hugs and chocolate!

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  7. Think globally, act locally. Sad to hear about the beaver's demise.

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  8. I am so sorry. And very, very glad to hear that you are going to lodge a complaint.

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  9. I just watched the same documentary last night. Amazing little buggers. Sad to me that the Europeans made hats of their fur, and removed many beaver.

    And sadly, the ignorance will continue.

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  10. What a shame. Too bad the powers that be acted before getting fully informed. (Nothing new, eh?) Good for you for speaking out.

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  11. We had a muskrat build a mud hut in the little pond I walk by in my neighborhood. It's one of those parks where they encourage the natural, wild look rather than manicured grass lawns and ornamental shrubs. It's so cool to see all the effort that went into making his winter home. I do hope they leave him/her alone.

    Very sorry to hear they killed the beaver instead of relocating him. Like you said, they are important creatures in a shrinking ecosystem.

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  12. I'm so sorry about the beaver. Poor little guy just wanted a home and a family. Your town is full of meanies! You should definitely write a letter to the council and the newspaper.

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  13. No reason to kill the beaver. I don't like that, and I understand how you feel.

    Love,
    Janie

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  15. I agree that you should file a complaint. I also think that you and maybe your son should write an article sharing the information you learned during your research. Ignorance is a dangerous tool and educating folks about the multiple options in this scenario can do nothing but be helpful. There are people who are paid to go into areas slated for construction in order to identify any species of animal or plant that need to be protected. It sounds like that is just about everywhere. Damn it.

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  16. That's awful, Marcy! We really do need to learn to live with wildlife. This is not just our planet. I found all you noted about observing the beaver in action so interesting.

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  18. I'm saddened by this outcome. I hope there will be a better way next year. Good for you.

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  19. By all means, follow up on this. It was stupid and unnecessary.

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  20. My pal, Wonder Woman (a.k.a: The Happy Whisk) over at the blog The Happy Whisk sent me the link to this post, and to your blog, so I came to visit. I am so saddened by this outcome. We have a pond near our home and all kinds of animals, even beavers, drop in during different periods of the year. All of them are beautiful and hard working,, and no one would ever think of hurting them. If there was an issue, live trapping and relocation would be a solution. This story really upsets me. I can't believe your area resorted to this. The humane approach is always the best way.

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  21. aww. i don't like that story. too sad and realistic and i totally support and agree with you. glad you shared this.

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  22. poor beaver! You should take down your city government for this atrocity!

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  23. Oh, that is sad. What a shame.

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  24. That royally sucks. My road used to get flooded due to beavers, so the warden trapped them alive and moved them. Next year more beavers moved in, and so they rigged up a chicken wire fence around the culvert, with PVC tubes with holes sticking out through it - that way the beavers can work all they like, but the water still goes through.

    You can also watch Leave It to Beavers on the PBS's Nature website, which has extras as well.

    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/leave-it-to-beavers-leave-it-to-beavers/8836/

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